A recent census shows the wild panda population grew by 268 to a total of 1,864 in China since the last survey in 2003. But Chinese officials say poaching rare animals and trafficking their parts still remains a problem.

Thousands of users on social media network Weibo expressed their alarm at the killing. One user, Gloomy Thick Eyebrows, said: "To the Chinese, giant panda is more than an animal. It's a spiritual symbol. The case needs to be dealt with severely to stop any further incidents like this."

Another user, Brilliant, said: "Deplorable! These guys are heartless."